The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The responsibilities associated with a restaurant waiter or server involves numerous responsibilities and duties. Examples of various functions include memorizing the “specials of the day” and associated prices, memorizing various spices and additives in preparing a dish, as well as providing for chef suggestions to accompany certain dishes, and wine and drink pairings. In addition, a waiter must keep organized meal orders placed by different tables within the restaurant, and attend to the needs of restaurant patrons. Furthermore, a waiter must keep account of all receipts and monies exchanged throughout the night, accounting for such things as tips, bar tabs and making change for restaurant patrons.
As is customary in restaurants, a waiter may be responsible for upwards of eight tables, which could amount to servicing forty or so restaurant patrons at any given time. Restaurants are a service-related industry, and the degree of care and precision a waiter displays while servicing the restaurant patrons is part of the measure of a restaurant's performance. In fact, a well-known restaurant rating guide, ZAGAT, identifies service as the second most important factor in determining a restaurant's rating, second only to food quality. An organized waiter often can provide a better service experience for a restaurant patron.
In juggling their various duties and responsibilities, many waiters are faced with the time-consuming task of searching for the needed article or information throughout the service of their tables. This could reflect poorly on the service being provided to the restaurant patron, and result in a lower tip and a lower approval rating for the restaurant.
The present invention addresses these limitations by providing for a novel method and device for capturing and organizing information common to restaurant waiters. The present invention further provides a novel method and device for increasing efficiency and limiting errors associated with restaurant waiter duties and responsibilities.